Switzerland: 5 killed in crashes of 2 aircraft in Alps

Geneva: Five people have been killed when a glider and a small plane crashed about a kilometre (0.6 miles) apart in the Swiss Alps, police said Monday. Authorities were trying to determine whether the crashes were linked.

Police in Graubuenden canton said they were told Saturday night by Switzerland's air rescue service that the glider had crashed in the Bivio area, near the Italian border, and the pilot had died. It wasn't immediately possible to do more recovery work at the crash site, at an altitude of around 2,700 meters (8,860 feet), because of poor weather.

When recovery work did get under way on Sunday, rescuers found the wreckage of the small plane about a kilometre away. Police said that plane, a Robin DR400, had the pilot as well as a man, woman and child on board. They said all on board were killed.

Both aircraft had set off from airfields in Switzerland on Saturday. There was no immediate word on the victims' identity.